Society Memberships, Degree and Awards
Dr. Schmitt is amember of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and served on it's Council from 1983 to 1989. He is a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and a foreign associate of The Engineering Academy of Japan. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The American Physical Society, the Institue of Elcectrial and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the American Association for Advancement of Science.
A native of Seguin, Texas Dr. Schmitt earned undergraduate degrees in physics and
mathematics and a Master's degree from the University of Texas and his Ph.D. in
physics from Rice University.
He holds honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania (1985), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1985), Union College (1985), Lehigh University (1986), The University of South Carolina (1988), the Universite de Technologie de Copiegne (1991), the College of St. Rose (1992), Russell Sage College (1993), Hartford Graduate Center (1995), Illinois Institute of Technology (1996) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1997). He received Rice University's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1985, the Stony Brook Foundation's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Higher Education in 1985, RPI's Community Service Award in 1982 and the University at Albany Foundation's Academic Laureate Award for 1997.
Dr. Schmitt has received a number of awards during his career. These include the IEEE's 1992 Founders Medal, the 1993 Hoover Award from a consortium of five major engineering societies, the 1993 Pake Award from the American Physical Society, the 1989 Arthur M. Bueche Award of the National Academy of Engineering. In 1996 he was also elected an inaugural member of the New York State Capital Region's Business Hall of Fame, sponsored by Junior Achievement.
